Don’t tar female riders with the pink brush, says CAP

Assuming that female motorcyclists want ‘feminised’ riding equipment is a mistake that could cost the industry the chance to attract new customers, according the CAP the used motorcycle pricing experts.

Alan Elsworth, editor of CAP Green Book, the industry standard trade guide to used motorcycle values, the most successful female-friendly dealers focus on safety and practicality rather than pink leathers and helmets.

In a year when the motorcycle industry has seen new bike sales reduce by nearly 7% it is more important than ever to attract new customers and women represent a still largely untapped market. But research consistently suggests that treating women differently is a mistake that could hold back attempts to grow the female biking fraternity beyond its current estimated 10 – 15% of the market.

Writing in the latest edition of Green Book, Alan Elsworth says: “A typical example of the desire among women to be treated on an equal footing came from a dealer contact recently who was selling to a married couple who were both starting out as riders. After making sensible bike choices, under the expert guidance of dealer staff, they were then pointed to riding kit and offered professional safety information.

“But when the dealer suggested the woman check out the “ladies gear” her immediate response was to ask if there was anything available non-pink.  This dealer is not unique in realising that woman do not want to be treated as anything other than motorcyclists.

“It is also noticeable that dealerships run by a husband and wife team are more successful in retailing to women. No doubt they connect more easily with the female customer because they understand this fact. It is also noticeable that pink is conspicuous by its absence among the wares sold by the few specialist vendors of female biking apparel.

“The advice is, don’t tar women with a pink brush and instead realise that if women are better understood a still largely untapped market is probably there for the taking.”